


A Dreamscape Meeting

by Sure-Spear (WiztheWhiteWolf)



Category: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24859390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WiztheWhiteWolf/pseuds/Sure-Spear
Summary: One night, Kipo realizes she can use Mulholland to meet her mother.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 104





	A Dreamscape Meeting

The canopy leaves rustled as Kipo crawled through them. She poked out her head, scanning the cloudy night sky for any sign of trouble, then, satisfied that there was nothing to fear nearby, she hauled herself up onto the treetops. She took a few tentative steps. She knew the canopy of the Timbercat forest was solid enough to walk on, but couldn’t help being wary of hidden gaps. One slip from this height would kill her easier than even the most vicious mutant in the world. As she walked, she unscrewed the cap from the canteen she carried and held it up near her shoulder. Mulholland materialized and began to scan the area behind Kipo.

“Do you see her?” Kipo asked. It really shouldn’t be so difficult to spot a six-story tall monkey in such an open area.

“Right behind you,” Mulholland said.

Kipo turned. Sure enough, her mother’s enormous outline lay just a few yards away, her chest rising and falling as she slept. Caution thrown to the back of her mind, Kipo scrambled to her mother, climbing over the mega monkey’s back to reach her shoulder. Kipo slid down into the palm of one of her mother’s hands and looked at Mulholland.

“You know we could’ve done this without coming all the way up here, don’t you?” Mulholland asked. “In fact, you could be all the way in Cactus Town and I’d still be able to connect you two.”

“I know, I know,” Kipo said. She leaned back and closed her eyes. “But this just feels right.”

“When do you want me to wake you up?” Mulholland asked.

“I’ll let you know,” Kipo answered. “Thank you, Mulholland.”

“Any time, Kipo,” he replied. Then Kipo was gone, curled up asleep with a smile on her face.

Writing was harder than Song remembered it being. She scrawled out clumsy approximations of letters and numbers on the crystal pillars of her mindscape. Once, this had been as easy as breathing. She remembered writing for hours on end, only ever having to erase the occasional mistake before returning to the flow of her work. Now, half of what she’d written was scratched out, and the other half bordered on illegible even to her. It infuriated her, but she continued. She would get better. She would not allow herself to slip back into the feral madness she’d endured for thirteen years. Kipo had come back from her mutation, and so would Song.

Song finished her sentence and stepped back to examine the work. It was the old lullaby Lio had taught her and Kipo had used to bring her back to herself, each line numbered for extra practice. Well, sort of. The lines were wobbly, the letters misshapen, and the numbers crooked. Plus, she was fairly certain she’d spelled a few words wrong despite their simplicity, though she couldn’t tell which ones were wrong. But it was legible. Technically. To her, anyway. She considered that progress over the last two pillars, which resembled abstract art far more than writing. 

“You’ll get there,” she said to herself. At least her speech was returning to her quickly. Mulholland made a point to talk with her almost every night, informing Song of the finer details of the situation in the real world that she had some trouble comprehending in her conscious body. She walked over to the winding river the mute usually inhabited and gazed into the water. Her own face, her real face, stared back at her, and she smiled. She had forgotten what she’d looked like until the day Mulholland had created the mindscape.

The water rippled. Song stepped back to give Mulholland space as he emerged, towering over her on a pillar of water like he usually did.

“Hello,” she said before the mute had even opened his mouth.

Mulholland grinned. “You’re getting quicker every day, aren’t you?”

“Soon I’ll have a whole… A whole sentence out before you get a word in e-edgewise.”

“I look forward to it.” Mulholland looked at the pillar she’d been practicing on. “Hey, I can read that one!”

Song forced a laugh. “That’s the g-goal.” 

“Oh, but I’m getting distracted,” Mulholland said. “I’m not here for an extended visit tonight. I actually have someone else on her way here to see you.”

Song stared at Mulholland in confusion. “S-someone else?”

“Remember when I told you how every part of me is connected? I may have undersold just how true that was. I can connect people’s mindscapes, you see and- Oh, here she is!”

A mane of pink hair broke the water’s surface, followed quickly by the rest of Kipo. The girl stumbled onto the riverbank and moved to wring the water out of her shirt. She froze when she realized the shirt was dry, just like the rest of her body.

“Huh,” Kipo said. “Neat.”

Song stared at her daughter in disbelief. How had Mulholland… The thought trailed off as Kipo met Song’s eyes. Then, without warning, the girl leaped forward and nearly knocked Song to the ground with a massive hug. Song stumbled back a moment before returning the embrace. She pulled her daughter close. Tears stung her eyes. She wanted to speak, but her words caught in her throat. Somehow she knew that this wasn’t just a dream Mulholland had constructed; this was her daughter, or at least her daughter’s consciousness. The two stood there for what felt like an eternity holding each other. Thirteen years. Song had waited thirteen years to hold her baby girl again. Finally, she took a step back and raised a trembling hand to Kipo’s face.

Kipo’s was nearly as tall as Song now despite her young age. The girl had a thin, wiry build, but up close she wasn’t nearly as fragile as she seemed in the waking world. Tears filled the girl’s wide purple eyes. Crying herself, Song wiped her daughter’s tears away. Kipo sniffled and stammered for a moment before she managed to compose herself.

“Hi, mom,” she said with a smile.

“Hello, Kipo,” Song somehow managed to reply. She laughed, wiping away her own tears. “I have wanted to tell you that for so, so long.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Mulholland said. “Well, as alone as I can, anyway.” He sunk back into the river. Not a moment after he’d gone, Kipo grabbed Song’s wrist.

“I have so much I want to talk to you about,” she said. Her tears had begun to give way to her usual chipper - and somewhat hyperactive - behavior. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. It’s just, so much is going on, and I’ve barely had time to catch my breath, and-”

“It’s okay, Kipo.” Song tousled the girl’s pink hair, which felt just a little bit softer than a normal human’s. “You’re here now. This place was part of your… Your burrow, wasn’t it?”

Kipo nodded. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” Song said. “A bit hard to n… Navigate, sometimes, though.”

Kipo’s eyes widened. “I can show you around. I used to spend ages exploring here, so I know all the best spots. Other than this one, I mean. This is the absolute best spot.”

“Lead the way,” Song said, gesturing towards the depths of the crystal caverns. “And while we’re walking, what did you want to talk about?”

**Author's Note:**

> Storms, has it really been five years since I posted? Ah well, here I am again. I'm a bit rusty but I figure I'll get back into my stride eventually.


End file.
